Desktop receptacle with hinged cover

ABSTRACT

A desktop receptacle includes a box including a front wall connected to a back wall opposite the front wall by at least one additional wall, the box having an opening formed therein; an electrical assembly held within the box; a first cover assembly connected to the back wall and including a first hinge and a first cover hingedly connected to the first hinge, the first cover being movable about the first hinge to at least partially cover the opening; and a second cover assembly connected to the front wall and including a second hinge and a second cover hingedly connected to the second hinge, the second cover being movable about the second hinge to at least partially cover the opening, the first hinge being a stop for the second cover and the second hinge being a stop for the first cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to desktop receptacles, and, moreparticularly, to desktop receptacles with covers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Desktop receptacles are known that can be connected to an electrical ordata source, such as a wall outlet or computer, and installed in a workarea to allow for electronic devices in the work area to connect to thewall outlet or computer. For aesthetic purposes, many installed desktopreceptacle are hidden from sight. This can be accomplished by installingthe desktop receptacle in an out of sight location of the work area,such as underneath a desk. Such receptacles are difficult to access,which is inconvenient for work spaces where electrical devices are oftenconnected and disconnected from the electrical assembly held in thedesktop receptacle.

To provide convenient connection and disconnection to, for example,power from a wall outlet, many desktop receptacles have both exposed andhidden portions. The exposed portion allows a user to access anelectrical assembly held in the receptacle to connect an electricaldevice to a power or data source, while the hidden portion providesstructure for the desktop receptacle. In such desktop receptacles, theexposed portion typically is accessed from the work surface, while thehidden portion is held underneath the work surface and normally out ofsight from the user. The hidden portion also usually isolates circuitryof the electrical assembly from the user to conform to accepted industrystandards.

Once the electrical device is plugged into the electrical assembly, auser may want to close access to the electrical assembly for aestheticpurposes. A variety of covers are known that will close access to theelectrical assembly. One problem with known covers is that in order toconnect a cable to the electrical device and electrical assembly, one ormore openings must exist in the cover that the cable can be held inafter closing the cover. When many cables are connected to theelectrical device and electrical assembly, the combined sizes of thecables can fill the cover opening and prevent additional cables beingconnected to the electrical assembly. Further, the placement of theopening can require one or more of the cables to be excessively bent inorder to connect to the electrical assembly and exit through the coveropening, which can result in damage to the cable. Even further, manydesktop receptacles include elaborate safety stops to preventoverextension and damage to the cover when opening and closing thecover.

What is needed in the art is a desktop receptacle that can allowconvenient cable access to an electrical assembly in the desktopreceptacle and has a relatively simple stop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a desktop receptacle including a box andcover assemblies connected to opposite walls of the box, a hinge of eachcover assembly being a stop for a cover of the other cover assembly.

The invention in one form is directed to a desktop receptacle including:a box including a front wall connected to a back wall opposite the frontwall by at least one additional wall, the box having an opening formedtherein; an electrical assembly held within the box; a first coverassembly connected to the back wall and including a first hinge and afirst cover hingedly connected to the first hinge, the first cover beingmovable about the first hinge to at least partially cover the opening;and a second cover assembly connected to the front wall and including asecond hinge and a second cover hingedly connected to the second hinge,the second cover being movable about the second hinge to at leastpartially cover the opening, the first hinge being a stop for the secondcover and the second hinge being a stop for the first cover.

The invention in another form is directed to an article of furnitureincluding a work surface having a receptacle opening formed therein anda desktop receptacle placed in the receptacle opening. The desktopreceptacle includes a box including a front wall connected to a backwall opposite the front wall by at least one additional wall, the boxhaving an opening formed therein; an electrical assembly held within thebox; a first cover assembly connected to the back wall and including afirst hinge and a first cover hingedly connected to the first hinge, thefirst cover being movable about the first hinge to at least partiallycover the opening; and a second cover assembly connected to the frontwall and including a second hinge and a second cover hingedly connectedto the second hinge, the second cover being movable about the secondhinge to at least partially cover the opening, the first hinge being astop for the second cover and the second hinge being a stop for thefirst cover.

An advantage of the present invention is the hinges being stops for thecovers is a relatively simple yet effective way to limit the risk of thecovers over-rotating.

Another advantage is the covers can be spaced from the box to form a gapthat cables can pass through.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention,and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and theinvention will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a desktop receptacleaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the desktop receptacle shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a close-up top view of the desktop receptacle shown in FIGS.1-2;

FIG. 4 is a close-up perspective view of the desktop receptacle shown inFIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the desktop receptacle shown inFIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 is yet another perspective view of the desktop receptacle shownin FIGS. 1-5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a work surfaceaccording to the present invention incorporating the desktop receptacleshown in FIGS. 1-7.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. The exemplifications set out hereinillustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications arenot to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in anymanner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-2, thereis shown a desktop receptacle 10 which generally includes a box 12including a front wall 14 connected to a back wall 16 which is oppositethe front wall 14 by sidewalls 18, an electrical assembly 20 held withinthe box 12, a first cover assembly 22 connected to the back wall 16 anda second cover assembly 24 connected to the front wall 14. It should beappreciated that all references to relative locations, such as “front,”“back,” and “side,” are for convenience of description only and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. As can beseen, the box 12 has a rectangular shape with a closed bottom 26 and anopening 28 formed in a top 30 of the box 12. While the box 12 is shownas being rectangular in shape, the box 12 can be formed to have anydesired shape. The box 12 can be configured to isolate any circuitry(not shown) of the electrical assembly 20, preventing easy access to anylive electrical components of the electrical assembly 20 and conformingto industry standard such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards.The desktop receptacle 10 can also include an additional electricalassembly 20, which is partially obstructed from view in FIG. 2 by thesecond cover assembly 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the box 12 can have anisolation wall 32 connected to the walls 14, 16 and 18 of the box 12and, in combination with the closed bottom 26, covering any circuitry ofthe electrical assembly 20, with the circuitry being accessed by variouselectrical ports 34 formed in a faceplate 36 of the electrical assembly20. The electrical assembly 20 can be any type of assembly that includescircuitry and/or other components that allow an electrical device, suchas a computer, to connect to a power or data source, such as a walloutlet. Many electrical assemblies are known and it should beappreciated that any desired electrical assembly can be included in thedesktop receptacle 10.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the firstcover assembly 22 connected to the back wall 16 includes a hinge 38 anda cover 40 that is hingedly connected to the hinge 38. As used herein,the cover 40 is “hingedly connected” to the hinge 38 in the sense thatthe cover 40 is connected to the hinge 38 in a way that allows the cover40 to rotate about a connection point to the hinge 38, such as the cover40 being connected to the hinge 38 by a pivot pin 42. The cover 40 canhave a pivoting tab 44 adjacent to a lateral edge 46 of the cover 40with a pivot opening (not seen in FIG. 2) that the pivot pin 42 extendsthrough to connect the pivoting tab 44 to the hinge 38 to allow thecover 40 to rotate about the hinge 38. The cover 40 can have anotherpivoting tab 48 attached to another lateral edge 50 opposite the lateraledge 46 that can be hingedly connected to the sidewall 18 of the box 12,stabilizing both lateral edges 46, 50 of the cover 40.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 3 and 4, a closer view of the hinge38 of the first cover assembly 22 is shown. As can be seen, the hinge 38can have a side surface 52 that is hingedly connected to the cover 40and a top surface 54 that defines a stop portion of the hinge 38. Thestop portion 54 of the hinge 38 is placed in a closing path of a cover56 of the second cover assembly 24 so that the stop portion 54interferes with the cover 56 of the second cover assembly 24 rotatingpast the hinge 38 toward the isolation wall 32. In this sense, the hinge38 is a stop for the cover 56, with the cover 56 contacting the stopportion 54 of the hinge 38 in a closed position. The stop portion 54 ofthe hinge 38 can be adjusted, as desired, to determine the closedposition of the cover 56. For example, the relative position of the stopportion 54 can be adjusted to change the relative position of a topsurface 58 of the cover 56 in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 3,the top surface 58 of the cover 56 is substantially flush with the top30 of the box 12, but the stop portion 54 can also be positioned so thetop surface 58 of the cover 56 is recessed or raised relative to the top30 of the box 12. As shown, the hinge 38 is connected to the back wall16 of the box 12, but it is contemplated that the hinge 38 can beotherwise connected to the box 12 or another element of the desktopreceptacle 10 to place the hinge 38 in the closing path of the cover 56.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the pivoting tab 44 has a pivot opening 60formed therein that the pivot pin 42 extends through to connect thecover 40 to the hinge 38. The pivot opening 60 can be formed as anelongated opening to allow for various positions of the pivot pin 42within the pivot opening 60 to adjust how the cover 40 rotates about thehinge 38. As shown, the pivot pin 42 is placed in the elongated opening60 at a back of the opening 60, so the cover 40 has a greater distancefrom the back wall 16 of the box 12 than if the pivot pin 42 were placedin, for example, the front of the opening 60. To allow the pivot pin 42to stay placed in its relative position within the opening 60 whilestill allowing the cover 40 to rotate about the hinge 38, the pivot pin42 can have a square shaped section corresponding to the square shape ofthe opening 60 and a round shaped section that will be inserted in around opening (not shown) formed in the hinge 38. Such a configurationprevents relative rotation between the square shaped section of thepivot pin 42 and the opening 60 while allowing the round section of thepivot pin 42 to rotate about the hinge 38.

The second cover assembly 24 also has a hinge 62 that stops the cover 40of the first cover assembly 22 from rotating past the hinge 62 and ishingedly connected to the cover 56 of the second cover assembly 24. Thehinge 38 of the first cover assembly 22 and hinge 62 of the second coverassembly 24 are shown as being connected to the box 12 in a way thatprevents the two covers 40 and 56 of the respective cover assemblies 22and 24 from contacting each other as the covers 40, 56 rotate abouttheir respective hinge 38, 62. However, it is contemplated that thecover assemblies 22 and 24 can be arranged to have overlap between thecovers 40, 56, if desired. As can be seen in comparing the first coverassembly 22 to the second cover assembly 24 in FIGS. 1-4, the secondcover assembly 24 can be a substantially mirror image of the first coverassembly 22, i.e., a perspective view of the desktop receptacle 10 fromthe front and the rear can be substantially identical. By mirroring thefirst cover assembly 22 and second cover assembly 24, the first coverassembly 22 and second cover assembly 24 can be interchangeable partsthat can simplify manufacturing of the desktop receptacle 10 by onlyrequiring tooling to produce one type of cover assembly. Themanufactured cover assembly can then be connected to its respective wall14, 16 of the box 12 to produce the desktop receptacle 10. While thesecond cover assembly 24 is shown as being a mirror image of the firstcover assembly 22, it should be appreciated that the second coverassembly 24 can be configured differently from the first cover assembly22.

Referring now to FIG. 5, it can be seen that an additional stop 64 hasbeen attached to the sidewall 18 that is level with the hinge 62 of thesecond cover assembly 24. The additional stop 64 stops the cover 40adjacent to the other lateral edge 50 so the cover 40 is braced on bothsides when in the closed position. Bracing the cover 40 on both sidescan help prevent bending of the cover 40 when downforce is applied tothe cover 40. The additional stop 64 is shown as being attached to thesidewall 18, but can be attached to other parts of the box 12 to bracethe cover 40 on the side of the lateral edge 50.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it can be seen that the first cover assembly 22can be connected to the back wall 16 of the box 12 using a screw 66 thatgoes into the back wall 16 and the hinge 38 of the first cover assembly22. Using the screw 66 to connect the first cover assembly 22 to theback wall 16 allows for easy replacement of the first cover assembly 22in the event that any component of the first cover assembly 22 isbroken. Although the hinge 38 of the first cover assembly 22 is shown asbeing directly connected to the back wall 16 of the box 12, the firstcover assembly 22 does not need to be directly connected to the backwall 16 and can have an element separate from the hinge 38 that connectsto the box 12.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-6, it can be seen that when the cover 56of the second cover assembly 24 is in the closed position and contactingthe hinge 38 of the first cover assembly 22, there are gaps 68 formedbetween the cover 56 and the front wall 14 and back wall 16. The size ofthe formed gaps 68 can be adjusted to allow cables (not shown) ofvarying sizes to extend through the gaps 68 so electrical devices can beplugged into the electrical assembly 20 while the cover 56 is in theclosed position. The cover 40 of the first cover assembly 22 can beconfigured similarly to also form gaps between the cover 40 and thefront wall 14 and back wall 16. To form the gaps 68, the size of thecover 56 can be adjusted so the cover 56 has a cover width WC that isless than an opening width WO. The hinge 62 that the cover 56 ishingedly connected to can also extend away from the front wall 14 andconnect to the cover 56 a desired distance from the front wall 14,allowing the cover 56 to rotate about the hinge 62 until the cover 56contacts the front wall 14 and forming the gap 68 between the cover 56and front wall 14 when the cover 56 is closed. As illustrated by thecover 40 of the first cover assembly 22 being in a completely openposition, the covers 40, 56 can contact the back wall 16 and front wall14, respectively, when fully opened. In this sense, the back wall 16 andfront wall 14 also act as stops to prevent over-rotation of the covers40, 56. The formed gaps 68 can be sized to allow both power and datacables to extend through the gaps 68 without pinching the cables whenthe cover 56 opens and closes, with the gaps 68 having exemplary gapwidths WG of 0.25 to 0.5 inches. While each gap width WG is shown asbeing equal half of the difference between the opening width WO and thecover width WC, the gap widths WG do not need to be equivalent and canbe varied to allow different sized cables to extend through each gap 68.The box 12 can also include a peripheral portion 70, shown as flanges70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D connected to the top 30 of the box 12 and thatsurround the opening 28 formed in the top 30 of the box 12. Theperipheral portion 70 can fully surround the opening 28, as shown, oronly a portion of the opening 28 if desired, as will be describedfurther herein.

Referring now to FIG. 7, an embodiment of an article of furniture 100according to the present invention is shown that includes a work surface102 with a receptacle opening 104 formed in the work surface 102 and thedesktop receptacle 10 shown in FIGS. 1-6 placed in the receptacleopening 104. The electrical assembly 20 of the desktop receptacle 10 canbe connected to a wall outlet (not shown) by a power cord 72 (shown inFIG. 1) so that an electronic device 106, such as a laptop computer, canbe connected to and receive electrical power through the electricalassembly 20 from the wall outlet. To help support the box 12 in thereceptacle opening 104, brackets 74 (shown in FIG. 1) can be connectedto the box 12 and then connected to a bottom of the work surface 102.The flanges 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D of the peripheral portion 70 can alsocontact the work surface 102 to help support the box 12. The flange 70Ais omitted from FIG. 7 so the receptacle opening 104 can be seen, but itshould be appreciated that the flange 70A will obstruct view of thereceptacle opening 104 as well, if included. The receptacle opening 104can be sized and shaped to be substantially filled by the walls 14, 16,and 18 of the box 12 and leave little, if any, space between the walls14, 16, and 18 of the box 12 and the walls (not seen) of the receptacleopening 104. The opening 28 formed in the top 30 of the box 12 can havea similar shape to the receptacle opening 104, but have smallerdimensions. The difference in dimensions of the opening 28 compared tothe receptacle opening 104 can be, for example, a thickness of the walls14, 16, and 18 of the box 12 so the box 12 is tightly fit within thereceptacle opening 104.

While this invention has been described with respect to at least oneembodiment, the present invention can be further modified within thespirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is thereforeintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the inventionusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

1. A desktop receptacle, comprising: a box including a front wallconnected to a back wall opposite said front wall by at least oneadditional wall, said box having an opening formed therein; anelectrical assembly held within said box; a first cover assemblyconnected to said back wall and including a first hinge directlyconnected to said back wall and a first cover hingedly connected to saidfirst hinge, said first cover being movable about said first hinge to atleast partially cover said opening; and a second cover assemblyconnected to said front wall and including a second hinge spaced apartfrom said first hinge and directly connected to said front wall and asecond cover hingedly connected to said second hinge, said second coverbeing movable about said second hinge to at least partially cover saidopening, said first hinge being a stop for said second cover and saidsecond hinge being a stop for said first cover. 2-3. (canceled)
 4. Thedesktop receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said first hinge has afirst side surface hingedly connected to said first cover and a topsurface defining a stop portion that limits movement of said secondcover.
 5. The desktop receptacle according to claim 4, wherein saidsecond hinge is a mirror image of said first hinge.
 6. The desktopreceptacle according to claim 1, wherein said first cover and at leastone of said front wall and said back wall define a gap therebetween whensaid first cover contacts said second hinge.
 7. The desktop receptacleaccording to claim 6, wherein said gap allows an electric cable to passtherethrough.
 8. The desktop receptacle according to claim 6, whereinsaid second cover and at least one of said front wall and said back walldefine a second gap therebetween when said second cover contacts saidfirst hinge.
 9. The desktop receptacle according to claim 8, whereinsaid second gap allows an electric cable to pass therethrough.
 10. Thedesktop receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said first cover ishingedly connected to said at least one additional wall.
 11. The desktopreceptacle according to claim 1, wherein said opening is formed in a topof said box.
 12. An article of furniture, comprising: a work surfacehaving a receptacle opening formed therein; and a desktop receptacleplaced in said receptacle opening, said desktop receptacle comprising: abox including a front wall connected to a back wall opposite said frontwall by at least one additional wall, said box having an opening formedtherein; an electrical assembly held within said box; a first coverassembly connected to said back wall and including a first hingedirectly connected to said back wall and a first cover hingedlyconnected to said first hinge, said first cover being movable about saidfirst hinge to at least partially cover said opening; and a second coverassembly connected to said front wall and including a second hingespaced apart from said first hinge and directly connected to said frontwall and a second cover hingedly connected to said second hinge, saidsecond cover being movable about said second hinge to at least partiallycover said opening, said first hinge being a stop for said second coverand said second hinge being a stop for said first cover.
 13. The articleof furniture according to claim 12, wherein said opening of said box hasa similar shape to said receptacle opening of said work surface.
 14. Thearticle of furniture according to claim 12, wherein said desktopreceptacle includes a peripheral portion at least partially surroundingsaid opening and contacting said work surface.
 15. The article offurniture according to claim 12, wherein said first cover and at leastone of said front wall and said back wall define a gap therebetween whensaid first cover contacts said second hinge.
 16. The article offurniture according to claim 15, wherein said gap allows an electriccable to pass therethrough.
 17. The article of furniture according toclaim 12, wherein said first hinge has a side surface hingedly connectedto said first cover and a top surface defining a stop portion thatlimits movement of said second cover.